Hello.

As title really, how often do you change a cambelt on a 1999 uk wagon turbo I am thinking about buying, there is not a lot of history, also any buying tip's that you guy's can give me would be appreciated

Cheer's.

 

cambelt for my 97 uk is every 45k.mainly look for decent oil being used and any mods been done properly.also if its not 100% just walk away as there are loads of others for sale.spent over a month looking at cars before i got mine.have a good long test drive and get it up to temp properly.any problems will show then.

 

I could be wrong, but I think the 1999 and 2000 cars were 60,000 mile Cambelt changes (or every 4 years, whichever is sooner).

A 1999 car therefore should have records showing at least 2 changes.

If the history is sketchy then it comes down to price, if it's cheap and runs smooth then fair enough - but, it is really better to get a fully documented Impreza.

Considering it's a Wagon it should not have been modded too much (they tend to be better looked after) ..... any mods bar a Backbox should make you walk away.

Any sign of boy racer use (Kocklinks, Induction Mods., Re-Maps, Chavvie Pod Dials, etc.) should make you RUN away!

Look for a one owner, non abused, unmodded, UK example and you will be the owner of the best money can buy - ignore the modded trash, no need to buy tat these days.

Happy hunting!

 

i think that the above statement about modified imprezas is a mixed bag really yes there are some badly modified ones which you should avoid like the plague but there are some very tidy very well maintained modified versions too like the majority of the ones on this site! which there are two ways of seeing it 1 is if you buy one thats been modded properly you are saving time and a fortune on what you would doing it yourself and can get straight down to enjoying it the other is that if you buy one standard you can see the transformation taking place and to your own taste. the one thing i would agree on is that you need to shop around and get a well serviced one modded or not!

 

Modded Imprezas are modded for one single reason - the owner wants them to go faster than they were designed to.

That, in itself, is enough to steer clear ..... do you REALLY want a ragged Impreza? Or one which has been driven within it's design capabilities by someone who thought the power enough for them?

Find a mature owner who are selling their MY00 Wagon which is un-modded and not raced/messed about with - if you are really lucky the owner will have owned it since new and have a bundle of paperwork, all the MOTs and all the service details.

 

SunnySideUp, are you in any way related to PSLewis? The posting style is very similar. Some good words in your post, but some complete bollocks too.

As has been said, that sentence is a real mixed bag. A couple of quality bottles of wine, and a couple of shrivelled old ********* to balance them out.

"Signs of boy racer use" certainly are reasons to run away (you could probably count "induction mods" and aftermarket dumpvalves in that category).

However, any remap on a 99-00 car utilising the OE ECU will be via EcuTeK and therefore most likely by an experienced and reputable mapper. A Rawle/Herborn/JGM etc map could be considered a positive selling point rather than a negative one.

Similarly a KnockLink or other det monitoring device, plus decent oil pressure and temp gauges suggests that the owner at least has a passing interest in whether the engine is running safely or not. It might be that the owner is an insufferable chav who populates his car with dials merely for the sake of it, but a quick conversation should determine that.

 

Splitpin, how could I ever been confused with the late, great PSLewis?

My opinions, and they are only opinions, is that to steer clear of a modded Impreza is the best advice anyone could be given. There are just too many decent Impreza's in standard form for sale that it would be stupid (again, in my opinion) to buy a modded one.

I take your point about a re-map, if done by one of the 'names' - but, have you ever stopped to wonder why a warranty is never offered by these mappers? The answer is that they do not want to be responsible for any damage caused by taking the operation of the engine outside of Subarus design intent. There, in a nutshell, is an acknowledgement that a re-map could blow up your engine!!

Kocklinks are another matter - I have never needed something to tell me my engine is pinking ... I can hear it quite clearly. Any owner who cannot hear that most simple of things is hardly one I would want to buy a modified beast from.

Basically, I think the best advice for someone new to Imprezas is to state that an unmodified Impreza would be the best bet ..... one that is as it came from Subaru.

If the new owner chooses to change it at a later date, then so be it.

I would imagine half the fun of modding is doing it yourself? Not buying someone else's attempt? You will have your own ideas and desires - no point taking someone elses really?

So, in closing, the above is my opinion. Take it or leave it as the reader sees fit.

 

For an MY99 car its 45k or 3 years, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. None of this "I've only done 30k in the last 6 years, she will be fine" bollox etc, plus if there is no or very little service history then that is a real minefield, for example if the oil is like tar the I would leave well alone, but you may also get a bargain, its hit and miss, but the one thing I would do is get the car fully serviced, and that will cost you 600+ for everything.

Tony

 

45k or 3 years is correct.

 

if the tensioner hasnt been replaced then i would probably do that aswell for piece of mind,as i did.

 

hear hear!!

 

It has 120k, some service history but the last owner has done it personally for the 3 year's he has had it, had a cambelt change & some work internally about 3 & a half year's ago but was done cash in hand so no reciept so guessing it's going to be overdue, he said it's done 20000 since but obviously if it is every 3 year's then it is overdue, it is kind of raced up, 17" alloy's, induction kit, d/v, ebc grooved brake's & a stainless exhaust which isn't too loud/big, I have been looking for a few month's now & he seem's genuine enough with a good reason for selling but really blowing my budget on the car leaving the cambelt, big problem I guess, if it was 4 year's I wouldn't mind but couldn't afford it straight away, what do you guy's think, I have seen a lot of shed's & this is the best one I have seen.

 

sometimes all the service history in the world dont mean your getting a car that will never go wrong ! its a chance you take whatever used car you buy,i think you get that feeling if its right or not for you and as long as you have gone over the car in the right way then your hopefully taking an educated guess at buying the right car,if you look at enough of these cars then you can tell a good one.hth

 

Yes it help's thank's, it's just a worry with the cambelt, decision's desicion's!!!, it it was a 4 year intervalk I wouldn't hesitate.

 

Sensible rule of thumb is if you have no 'beyond doubt' evidence of it being done - then replace said cambelt ASAP.

Although the Impreza belt doesn't have a reputation as a 'snapper', is it really worth the ball ache IF it was to fail and all that would enatil? If you buy it, get it done!

Use it as a price haggling point...